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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27077212">Bruised</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darksidedawn/pseuds/Darksidedawn'>Darksidedawn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Based on a Jack's Mannequin Song, Dean Winchester's Fear of Flying, F/M, Mechanic Dean Winchester, Soldier Anna Milton, mechanic!Dean, one swear word, soldier!Anna</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-09 01:28:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>586</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27077212</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darksidedawn/pseuds/Darksidedawn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean Winchester meets a pretty stranger on a plane.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anna Milton/Dean Winchester, background Sam Winchester/Jessica Moore - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Bruised</h2></a>
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    <p>Dean clenches his jaw again, and then rubs it. He’s going to grind his teeth to nubs at this point. It’s just a plane, thousands of people go on them all the time. He glances around the gate, there’s the mother desperately trying to calm her baby, who will no doubt cry the whole flight, the businessman talking on his phone, his hands gesticulating like whoever he’s talking to can see him, the teenager, crouched low in his seat, playing on his phone. If they can do it, so can he.<br/>


He blows air through his teeth, waiting for them to call his row. When they do, and he has to go onto the plane itself, he freezes. For the millionth time, he wishes Sammy was there with him, but it’s the growl of the biker behind him that pushes him off the hallway and onto the plane.<br/>


When he finds his seat, he sinks into it, the smell of the jet already driving him to panic, but he finds his headphones in time. With the blare of Metallica, he can almost forget he’s on a plane, until it starts moving.<br/>


He holds onto his armrests, heartbeat steadily rising, when the pretty redhead next to him grabs his arm and asks if he’s alright. Dean manages to nod, but he knows she sees the panic in his eyes. She immediately asks what he’s listening to, forcing him to pause the music and answer her. She starts speaking rapidly, a chorus of oh, I’ve never heard that! and I’m Anna, by the way, what’s your name? He doesn’t even have time to process the fact that they’re in the air, because she’s pretty, and she’s talking to him, but he wishes they were somewhere else, like a bar, maybe, on <em>solid ground</em>.<br/>


He almost loses it there for a second, but Anna’s voice keeps him grounded, finally managing to choke out, “Dean,” and “mechanic.” She responds with a blinding smile that takes his breath away, and he’s so mesmerized that he almost misses her next question, which is, “So what’s that like?”<br/>


He stammers out some bullshit about fun, brother, car… but he’s relaxing. The first time he’s ever relaxed on a plane, and it’s all thanks to this girl in the seat next to him, telling him she’s a soldier, and she’s excited to go home. He finds himself nodding along, and maybe even laughing at some of the things she says.<br/>


Halfway through, he’s relaxed enough to flirt with her, but she just raises her eyebrows at every attempt, which only makes him try harder. When they land, and he walks out of the plane on wobbly legs that aren’t helping his image, she slips something in his pocket.<br/>


He grins, knowing that it has to be her number, but he’s distracted by the sight of his brother by the baggage claim. He walks toward them, smiling, preparing to slap his brother on the back and maybe jokingly flirt with Jess, because he’s home now. The plane was behind him, but maybe it doesn’t all have to be.<br/>


He turns around, straining to catch a swish of her hair, but she’s long gone by now. He thanks her in his head, his redheaded angel, and turns his attention to his brother again. “Congrats on the marriage, man! Glad you’re the one to tie him down,” he says to Jess, “but what does a guy have to do to get some pie around here? I’m starving!”</p>
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